Snapping rolls for corn picking apparatus



AUS* 13, 1963 R. M. DILLON 3,100,491

SNAPPING ROLLS FOR CORN PICKING4 APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22. 1961INVENToR. @05597 M. /LO/V BY ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,100,491 SNAPPING RQLLS FOR CORN PICKINGAPPARATUS Robert M. Dillon, Cooksville, Ontario, Canada, assigner toMassey-Ferguson Limited, Toronto, Gntario, Canada, a corporation ofCanada Filed Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 140,076 3 Claims. (Cl. 13D- 5)The-present invention relates to corn picking apparatus and moreparticularly concerns snapping rolls for use in such apparatus.

Present day corn pickers conventionally include pairs of snapping rollsdeiining a throat which is brought into alinement with the row of cornto be picked. The rolls are oppositely rotated as the machine is drivenalong the corn row so that the stalks are gripped and pulled downwardly.This draws the ears of corn past snapping plates which engage the ears-to snap them from the stalks.

Snapping rolls are usually well over several feet in length and must berigid and strong to function properly. ln addition, they are normallyprovided with longitudinally running ridges of liutes so as to bettergrip the stalks. In View of these requirements, it has been conventionalto form snapping rolls as integral castings despite the relativelyhigher cost and resulting weight of cast parts as compared with otherfabrication methods.

Accordingly, it is the primary aim of the present invention to providean improved snapping roll assembly which is less expensive tomanufacture and lighter in weight than conventional rolls, withoutsacrilicing strength or rigidity.

Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide a snapping rollassembly as characterized above that gives an improved, more positivestalk gripping action as com# pared to prior types of rolls withoutdanger of completely severing the stalks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to thedrawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a plan View, partially in section, of a snapping rollassembly embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that` I do not intend to limit theinvention to that embodiment. On the contrary, I intend to cover allalternatives, modiiioations and equivalents as may be included Withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as delined by the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 a snapping rollassembly mounted in a frame 11 of a corn picking apparatus not otherwiseillustrated. The assembly lll)l includes a pair of adjacent snappingrolls V12 and 13 embodying the invention and journalled for rotation inthe frame 11.

In accordance with the invention, each of the rolls l12, 13 includeselongated plates 115 bent longitudinally into substantially L-shapedcross section and disposed with their outer surfaces 16 in abutment todefine a hollow body 17 with spaced longitudinal flanges 18 constitutingperipheral extensions of the sides of the body 17. `It will be notedthat the plates are arranged so that there are left and right hand rolls12, 13, with the iianges `18 of the respective rolls pointing generallyin the directions of roll rotation as indicated by the arrows 21 and 22in 'In the preferred construction, each of the rolls `12, 13 includesfour of the plates 15 arranged so that the bodies 17 are square in crosssection. The plates 15 are rigidly 3,100,491 Patented Aug. 13, 1963secured to one another by spot welding at a plurality of points alongthe iianges 1S.

To deiine a throat 25 for the cooperating rolls 12, d3, the rollsinclude generally conical auger tips 26 and 27 having stub portions 28and 29, respectively, which are tted into the bodies 17 of therespective rolls i12, l13. The tips 26, 27 are formed with oppositelywound threads or ridges 30 so as to guide and pull the cork stalks to bepicked between the rolls 12, `13. A pair of brackets 3'1 and 32 surroundthe stub portions 28, 29, respectively, between the plates 15 and thethreads 30 so as to journal the forward ends of the rolls 12, 13. Tofacilitate entrance of the stalks between the lianges 18 of the rolls12, y13, the anges are formed with cut-back portions 18a which roughlyform continuations of the tapered lines dened by the auger tips 26, 27.

For driving the rolls, a stub shaft =35 is fitted into the body '17 ofthe roll i12 and is supported by ya bearing 36 mounted in the frame 11.A drive shaft 37 is litted into and secured within the body 17 of theroll 13. A pair of interrneshed gears 38 and 3-9- are secured,respectively, to the stub shaft 35 and the drive shaft 37. The shaft 37is driven from the power source of the corn picking apparatus and thegears 38, 39, having the same pitch diameter, assure opposite anduniform rotation of the rolls 12, 13 in the direction of the arrows 21,2-2.

-It is important to note that the rolls 12, 13 are phased so that theirflanges 18 are received within the outer surfaces y4i) of the bentplates y15 forming the opposite roll. Thus, the relatively sharp flanges18 have nothing to act against when engaging the corn stalks and,therefore, the stalks are not severed by the flanges. Preferably, theedges of the flanges r1S are angled so as to deiinc blade-like grippingedges 41. This causes the flanges 18 to dig into the corn stalks as thestalks move between the oppositely rotating rolls but, since the edges41 are phased to be received Within the inner surfaces 40 on theopposite roll, complete severance of the stalks is avoided.

It can now be seen that a particularly economical and lightweightsnapping roll construction has been provided.

The L-shaped plates :15, assembled and secured together i in the mannerdescribed above, produce a particularly rigid and strong unit with the.'danges 18, which actually rigid, elongated plates bent longitudinallyinto substantially L-shaped cross section and disposed .with their outersurfaces in abutment to deiine a hollow body with spaced longitudinalllanges constituting peripheral extensions of the sides of said body,means coupling said rolls for uniform and opposite rotation, said rollsbeing phased so that said iianges on the rolls are received within theinner surfaces of the plates forming the opposite roll as the rolls arerotated.

2. For use in a corn picking apparatus, the combination comprising apair of adjacent snapping rolls journalled for rotation, each of saidrolls including four substantially rigid, elongated plates bentlongitudinally into L-shaped cross section and disposed with their outersurfaces in abutment to define 'a square body with spaced longitudinalflanges constituting peripheral extensions of the sides of said body,the edges of said anges being angled to define blade-like grippingedges,means coupling said rolls for uniform and opposite rotation, saidrolls being phased so that said anges on the rolls are 4 received withinthe inner surfaces of the plates forming References Cited in the file ofthis patent the opposite roll as the rolls are rotated.

3. A snapping roll for a corn picking apparatus com- UNITED STATESPATENTS f prising, in combination, four elongated plates bent longiy l kl tudinally into IL-shaped cross section and disposed with 5 2 gum et al"ub'z their outer surfaces in abutment to deiine a substantially 2604750Fergasl July 29 1952 rigid, square hollow body with spaced longitudinalflanges 236561667 Smith et al' Oct. 271 1953 constituting periphenalextensions of the sides of said body, `a drive shaft fitted into one endof said body, and an iauger tip itted into the opposite end of saidbody.

1. FOR USE IN A CORN PICKING APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING APAIR OF ADJACENT SNAPPING ROLLS JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION, EACH OF SAIDROLLS INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID, ELONGATED PLATES BENTLONGITUDINALLY INTO SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION AND DISPOSEDWITH THEIR OUTER SURFACES IN ABUTMENT TO DEFINE A HOLLOW BODY WITHSPACED LONGITUDINAL FLANGES CONSTITUTING PERIPHERAL EXTENSIONS OF THESIDES OF SAID BODY, MEANS COUPLING SAID ROLLS FOR UNIFORM AND OPPOSITEROTATION, SAID ROLLS BEING PHASED SO THAT SAID FLANGES ON THE ROLLS ARERECEIVED WITHIN THE INNER SURFACES OF THE PLATES FORMING THE OPPOSITEROLL AS THE ROLLS ARE ROTATED.